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Tighter surveillance on anvil in city

City police will be able to watch developments in real time in hi-tech control room

Sanction for the purchase of another 90 speed dome cameras

Hi-tech equipment to be purchased under Central initiative

HYDERABAD: Beware! Big Brother will be able to watch your every movement on the city’s roads. Jumping of red signals or group clashes at public places, the city police will be able watch the developments in real time in a hi-tech control room proposed to be set up shortly.

Remote control

The real time streaming of developments with the help of Internet can be recorded or watched at the flick of a button on the remote control, what with the city police getting sanction for purchase of another 90 speed dome cameras which can capture images at a distance of 300 metres.

Traffic junctions

Already, nearly 100 traffic junctions have been installed with such cameras which record every movement round-the-clock.

Currently, these cameras are being used for monitoring the flow of traffic. With 90 more cameras, costing Rs 1.8 crore, being added to the arsenal, the police in the State capital will earn recognition as one of the most advanced forces in the country.

It’s not just the speed dome cameras, the government has also given sanction for the purchase of ten surveillance four-wheelers and 50 surveillance Hero Honda motorcycles at a cost of Rs. 70 lakh. These vehicles, sources say, will be fitted with high-power cameras which can beam realtime, the images of any development in the city.

Central initiative

The hi-tech equipment is sought to be purchased under the Mega City Policing Plan (MCPP), a Central initiative. The Centre had, in fact, released Rs 7.55 crore for this plan in 2006-2007, but the money could not be utilised that financial year for a variety of reasons.

Now what with Hyderabad becoming a soft target for terrorist acts like bomb blasts in public places, there was a sense of urgency for equipping the police with modern gadgets to tackle the emerging situations.

With the Central funds not being utilised, the DGP had proposed to the State government to sanction Rs 7.55 crore in relaxation of Treasury Control orders, pending provision of funds in the supplementary grants of 2008-2009, for procuring the equipment under the MCPP. Concurring with the DGP’s request, the government issued an order on October 31 sanctioning the amount.

Novel system

It’s not just the speed dome cameras. The other novel system the city police would be able to adopt is the RFID-based E-Beat system. Currently, an archaic system of patrol teams signing notebooks at fixed points in their areas allocated is being followed.

The beat patrol is cross checked by the mobile patrol teams. However, now under the RFID based system, the RFID units will recognise the visit of the patrol constables automatically and update their movement log in the police control room automatically.

Under the plan, the city police are also proposing to acquire 20 speed radar guns, 160 breathalysers and a variety of equipment, including reflective jackets, pollution masks, traffic cones and barricades.